Dang it, it’s cold

My face froze.
That’s what it felt like walking to the metro this morning. According to WAMU the weather with the wind chills feels like the teens or single digits.
In other weather related tales, from the Eckington Listserv:

The District of Columbia wants to help residents whose heat has been shut off, but it’s having trouble finding them. That’s because consumer protection laws prohibit utilities from turning over their addresses.

Without that key information, the city has been trying to pinpoint zip codes with a history of disconnections. Mayor Adrian Fenty has directed his staff to begin door-to-door visits of homes in those areas to let people know about utility assistance that’s available from the government.

Terry Lynch, executive director of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, says utilities told him that between 700 and 800 customers are likely without gas heat. Lynch made his inquiries after the death this month of 65-year-old Bessie Sanders. Her home caught fire because she had been burning candles after her utilities were shut off.

Information from: The (Washington) Examiner: http://www.dcexaminer.com

I don’t have heat. Okay that’s a lie. However, my furnace is still (after nearly a month) non-operational because of that blocked chimney thing. Don’t worry, I discovered my basement maintains a temperature of about 50F no matter what I do. The “new” kitchen has electric radiant heat in the floor. When I’m home I just heat the room that I happen to be in, and not the whole house.

Usually when it gets cold I see the hotline number for the shelters for the homeless. I’m not seeing it but when it gets below freezing call the Hypothermia Hotline at 1-800-535-7252 so those sleeping on the street will be offered a warmer alternative.